


Unwanted Attention

by Keep_Looning



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: College AU, College Parties, Everyone wants a piece of that fine German a$$, Flirting, General Obliviousness (looking at you Ludwig), Human Names Used, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sassy!Feli, Why yes. I do have 5 other WIPs I should be working on, Wordcount: 10.000-15.000, but here we are, but not between the main ship, enjoy, this is really silly, tons of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keep_Looning/pseuds/Keep_Looning
Summary: It was well-known on campus that Ludwig was one fine piece of awkward German, and he had amassed quite the following of admirers. Not that they’d ever approach him — the man was intimidating. It was a small miracle that Ludwig hadn’t noticed the attention he garnered by just walking by.But what was lesser-known was the fact that Ludwig wasn’t quite as single as so many of his classmates mistakenly believed. And perhaps even lesser-known than that was that Ludwig’s heart was already taken. By another man. The girls wouldn’t like this if they ever found out.A college AU where Feliciano suddenly has competition for his boyfriend that’s not really competition at all.
Relationships: Germany/North Italy (Hetalia)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

There was something strange afoot, an inkling that something was off. It wasn’t obvious — far from it, in fact. A subtle strangeness that transformed the pleasant breeze into a paranoid whisper, the honey sunlight souring until it lost its syrupy sweetness entirely. Even the birds seemed ominous, their chirping no longer melodic, but menacing. 

It was this strangeness that made Ludwig believe, if only for a moment, that he was being watched. 

He shouldn’t feel so on-edge, not on a day like today. In fact, it was beautiful out — the sun had only just begun in its slow descent as a soft breeze weaved through emerald leaves, a faint rustling sound accompanying the birds’ merry singing. The campus was abuzz with its normal traffic, distant sounds of laughter and shoes scuffing pavement creating the perfect college ambience.

Well, almost perfect.

Ludwig took a handful of cautious steps forward, pausing when he heard something out of place. It could be the wind whispering its paranoid mutterings again, but it sounded much too concrete to be the vague murmurs of a fleeting breeze.

With no evidence that there really was something following him, Ludwig hesitantly continued in his trek home. As he walked, he thought that he should probably stop at the grocery store — he remembered Feliciano mentioning how bare their pantry was. He might as well, it wasn’t like he had anywhere to be. His classes were finished for the day, and he would hate to make his boyfriend pick something up when he was more than able to do it now.

Ludwig nodded to himself, changing his course so he could stop at the store on the way home. But just when he was about to turn a corner, he heard that strange sound from earlier again.

He whipped his head behind him, trying to find the source of the noise. If he wasn’t mistaken, then it sounded like _giggling,_ but once again, his gaze was met with nothing out of the ordinary. With one last suspicious glance behind him, he continued walking forward.

Maybe he was just hearing things, or maybe it was just the birds with their incessant chirping. Or perhaps it was the squeal of tires against the blacktop — really anything was more plausible than girls giggling. 

Ludwig shuddered at the sensation of eyes on his back, not daring to glance behind him this time. It was like he was being followed, the fact that he couldn’t pinpoint exactly _who_ could be following him only served to make him feel more on edge.

“This is ridiculous.” Ludwig muttered under his breath, irritated with those invisible eyes that he wasn’t even sure were real, but they had to be and-

 _“Shh,_ he’ll hear us.”

Okay, _that_ was definitely real.

Ludwig glared at the tree to his immediate left, positive that was where the voice had come from. He thought he could hear a squeak of surprise when he directed his smoldering glare in that general direction, but he couldn’t be completely sure. 

“Hello?” he called, hoping for a response to put his anxiety to rest.

He was met by silence. 

Ludwig glared at the tree for a moment longer, trying to convey through his gaze alone that whoever was following him better _stop_ before he did something about it. 

It was only the beginning of a strange week for Ludwig, those giggling apparitions just a taste of how truly strange (and obnoxious) his life was about to become. 

Unfortunately, these strange occurrences didn’t haunt Ludwig alone…

* * *

Feliciano carelessly tossed his notes and pencils into his backpack, paying no heed to the fact that he would lament the decision later when he couldn’t find a pen in the depths of his messy bag. It didn’t matter anyway, not now when he was just a bit desperate to get out of the classroom. He really couldn’t explain it, but throughout the duration of class, it felt as if somebody was watching him. 

With a harsh shudder that ran up the length of his spine, Feliciano stood. He threw his bag over his shoulder, turning sharply on his heel to escape the oppressive atmosphere of the lecture hall. It’d been a long day, and while Feliciano loved almost all of his classes, even he needed time to relax after being subjected to his rigorous class schedule.

 _Hopefully Ludwig went to the store,_ he thought idly. If not, he supposed they could just order out for tonight and go tomorrow after they were done with class… 

Preoccupied as he was with thoughts of dinner, Feliciano didn’t completely register that someone had stepped in front of him. He would have run into them had they not cleared their throat to say, “Hi! Your name’s Feliciano, right?”

Feliciano jumped, head snapping up to meet the saccharine-sweet smile of one of his classmates. She was short, nearly a head shorter than Feliciano himself, her silky blond hair gathered in a high ponytail. Her skin was unblemished, her hazel eyes accented by just enough eyeliner to be noticeable.

After another beat of stunned silence, Feliciano realized that he was being rude. The next moment, he pushed a smile on his face, so broad his eyes were forced closed, _“Sì,_ and what is your name, _bella?”_

“You can call me Sam.” she said, her own smile just as wide, but not nearly as genuine. “I don’t think we’ve met, but I’m in a few of your classes.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you!” Feliciano said cheerfully. From any outsider witnessing the exchange, it would have appeared as if he was flirting. But Feliciano didn’t really see it that way — while he loved attention from pretty girls, he was already in a stable relationship. This was just his way of being nice, even if it was often misinterpreted. 

Sam nodded, pointing towards the doorway, “Would you like to walk me to my next class?”

In all honesty, he really didn’t. But Feliciano smiled nonetheless, “Of course!”

“Great!” Sam chirped, and without asking for permission, she looped her arm through Feliciano’s and all but dragged him out of the room. “I have Economics next, and I’m just horrible at it!”

Feliciano nodded politely along, allowing Sam to lead him down the hallway and out the door onto the expansive campus outside. It was a gorgeous day out, the sun’s golden rays streaming through emerald leaves, the soft rustling just barely loud enough to be heard. Many students were sprawled out on blankets in the grass, reading or just enjoying their friends’ company. It was impossible not to enjoy the easy atmosphere, the idyllic scenery a wonderful reprieve from a day full of dull classes and mindless paperwork.

 _I should draw this,_ Feliciano thought, already thinking of the various ways he could capture this scene. He thought he’d like to paint it — maybe he could drag Ludwig out to sit with him as he worked. They could make it a date, bring some food with them as they sat in the soft grass, and-

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Sam asked loudly.

The question thoroughly snapped Feliciano out of his silent musings, turning a sheepish smile to the girl, “Um, kind of?”

Sam jut her lip out in a defined little pout, “I was asking about that blond guy you’re always with. Is he your roommate?”

“You mean Ludwig?” Feliciano asked curiously.

“Yeah, him!” Sam nodded, her smile becoming remarkably more genuine. “Is he a friend of yours?”

Well, that was one way to put it. Feliciano nodded, unconsciously smiling as he thought of his boyfriend, “Yeah, we’ve known each other for a while now. We live in an apartment together off campus.”

“So you _are _roommates!” Sam remarked. “What’s he like? He seems so intense!”__

__Feliciano chuckled, “That’s what everyone says, but he’s actually very sweet.”_ _

__“Really?” Sam asked, eyes lighting up in excitement. “Me and some of my friends have tried to introduce ourselves, but we chicken out every time! We never see him at any parties, and I don’t have any classes with him either.”_ _

__“Ludwig’s not really the social type.” Feliciano laughed, trying to imagine his incredibly awkward boyfriend at a college party. Even in his mind, it was a disaster, and Feliciano had to consciously bury his amusement or else he would devolve into a fit of giggles. Instead, he turned to Sam and said, “He really is very nice, though. I wouldn’t be nervous about introducing yourself at all! He’s almost always in the library or the gym if he’s not at home.”_ _

__“Oh, perfect!” Sam trilled, like it was the best news she’d heard all day. “I can’t wait, he’s just so handsome!”_ _

__...wait, what?_ _

__Feliciano opened his mouth to respond, perplexed with the comment, when Sam released the grip she had around his arm._ _

__She turned to him with a broad smile, waving animatedly, “Thank you so much for walking with me! I’ll see you tomorrow in class!”_ _

__With a start, Feliciano realized they had made it to their destination, peering up at the large academic building. He looked back down to see that Sam was already disappearing into the building, and he brought a hand up on instinct to wave goodbye._ _

__Feliciano wished that was the only strange encounter he had that week, but it wasn’t. No, it was only the first of many strange occurrences._ _

__It was shaping up to be an eventful week, indeed._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo, welcome to this silly little fic. I don't think it will be very long, but I have this horrible habit of making everything I write into a full-blown novel so who knows XD
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoy this nonetheless! My soul yearns for GerIta fluff, so now I cast this fic into the void to fulfill that need.
> 
> Have fun :)


	2. Chapter 2

It was morning, the sun’s delicate light only barely streaming in through half-closed curtains, casting odd shadows on the cream walls of the little room. All was silent save the soft, barely-there breaths of the only two inhabitants present. Ludwig basked in the early-morning peace, smiling faintly at the steady rise and fall of his boyfriend’s chest as he slumbered on.

Ludwig himself was incredibly comfortable, lying chest to chest with Feliciano, an arm thrown around his boyfriend’s shoulders to pull him close. Feliciano’s head fit snugly under Ludwig’s chin, nearly purring for how content he was to be there. Even in his sleep, he seemed to cling impossibly close to his boyfriend — a trait Ludwig had long come to terms with (and even enjoyed, if he was being quite honest with himself).

Their alarm was bound to go off at any moment, but Ludwig couldn’t bear to pull away right now. He was just far too content to lay there, his boyfriend sleeping fitfully in his arms. They’d been together for a little over a year now, and Ludwig was convinced that they would one day be married. He would never admit to how often he thought about that, nor just how happy the thought made him — Feliciano would never let him live it down.

The sun rose just a little further, their room brightening considerably. Ludwig supposed it would be best to turn off the alarm now before it went off, thereby saving his boyfriend from a very rude awakening. So, it was with much willpower that he uncurled himself from Feliciano long enough to grab his phone. He squinted at it, noting that they still had three minutes until the alarm was set to go off. 

Ludwig deactivated the alarm, putting his phone back on the nightstand before sitting up completely. He stretched, arms pushed high over his head as he tried to spur his mind and body into full consciousness. He loved mornings, but unfortunately, Feliciano did not. It was always a challenge to get his boyfriend to wake up, but it wasn’t anything Ludwig couldn’t handle.

With a small smile, Ludwig thread his fingers through Feliciano’s hair, working through some of the tangles there. It was best to start slow, little touches here and there as a warning before he truly went in to wake him up. When Feliciano sighed heavily in what could only be contentment, Ludwig determined it was alright for him to be a little more firm in his prodding, “Feli?”

A soft hum of acknowledgement, whether it was fully conscious or not was of little concern. All that mattered was that Feliciano was stirring.

Ludwig smiled the smallest bit, moving his hand down to grip his boyfriend’s shoulder. He shook it, just enough to be felt, “It’s time to get up.”

“You’re lying.” was the mumbled retort, Feliciano swatting his hand away.

Ludwig rolled his eyes, immediately returning his hand to his shoulder, “You have an eight a.m. today, _Engel.”_

Feliciano groaned in annoyance, rolling to the other side, “I don’t wanna go.”

“You never do.” Ludwig pointed out, deciding to be just a bit more forceful in his methods. He stealthily grabbed the edge of the blanket, ripping it to the side so it no longer covered the two of them, “You have to get up, Feli.”

Feliciano immediately curled up in a tight little ball, the only clothing he wore being a baggy pair of shorts. “Ludwig!” he whined, a shiver running through his frame, “It’s cold!”

“Then get dressed.” Ludwig said, getting up to do exactly that himself. “The longer you lay there, the less time you’ll have to eat.”

 _“Ugh.”_ Feliciano grumbled in annoyance.

Ludwig allowed his boyfriend to sulk for a short while, too focused on pulling a pair of jeans on. After a few minutes had passed, he chanced a glance over his shoulder to see that Feliciano had finally pushed himself up so he was sitting on the edge of the mattress. His hair was a tousled mess, sticking up at random. There was a red line that ran up his cheek, most likely a result of having it pressed so firmly into the mattress all night. His eyes were hardly open, squinting harshly against the sun with a fierce scowl — one that was actually just a bit intimidating.

Ludwig smirked at the sight, finding it strangely amusing that such a happy-go-lucky person could be reduced to an irritable, scowling mess this early in the morning.

“Why did I sign up for a morning class, again?” Feliciano asked groggily.

Ludwig huffed lightly in amusement, “Because you need this class to graduate and this was the only time it was offered.”

“Oh.” Feliciano grumbled, still glaring fixedly at the wall in front of him. “That’s stupid.”

“That’s college.” Ludwig remarked, picking one of Feliciano’s favorite button-ups from the closet before throwing it at him. “Now get dressed, you don’t want to be late.”

Feliciano didn’t even attempt to catch the shirt, letting it land over his shoulder before grabbing it, “Breakfast?”

Ludwig rolled his eyes, “I’ll cook if you get up and start getting dressed.”

“Deal.” Feliciano said, hauling himself up with some effort.

When it was clear that Feliciano didn’t plan on rolling back over and sleeping the day away, Ludwig finished getting dressed before exiting their bedroom. Just as he promised, he immediately set out to make their breakfast. He decided on eggs and bacon, but before he even began gathering the materials for that, he started a pot of coffee. One thing he had learned about his boyfriend while living with him was that Feliciano was absolutely useless without a cup or two of coffee in him.

It had to have been more than ten minutes later when Feliciano finally stumbled out of the bedroom. His scowl was still fixed firmly in place, although it wasn’t nearly as intense as it was before. He sat heavily down at the table, dropping his forehead onto the surface with a dull _thump,_ “I hate mornings.”

“But you like coffee, right?” Ludwig asked, placing a cup of the drink in front of him. “Here, this should help.”

Feliciano peeked up to see what was offered to him before he pushed himself up to sit properly. He cradled the mug close to his chest, taking a cautious sip out of it. All at once, much of the tension in his shoulders melted away as he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, “Just the way I like it.”

Ludwig had to stifle a snort of amusement, knowing that the amount of cream and sugar in the drink made it so it could hardly be considered coffee anymore. Still, it helped Feliciano revert back to the bubbly ball of energy that he normally was, so it would have to do.

The gentle sizzle and pop of their cooking breakfast was the only sound that permeated the small kitchen, and it might have gone on like that had Feliciano not started rifling through their mail. Most of it was junk, but there were a few letters that caught his eye, “Gil sent us another postcard.”

“Where’s that idiot now?” Ludwig muttered.

“Canada.” Feliciano responded, taking another long drink from his coffee before continuing. “He says it’s ‘super awesome’.”

“Of course he does.” Ludwig mumbled, knowing full well how limited his brother’s vocabulary was. “Is that all?”

“Well, he says that he made friends with a moose.” Feliciano giggled, holding up a picture.

Ludwig sighed, walking over to scrutinize it. Indeed, there his brother was, blinding smile and all, standing maybe ten meters away from the massive creature. Gilbert was pointing excitedly at it, the moose staring back with a look that could only be described as _disinterested._

The picture might have been considered comical, but Ludwig could only muster enough energy to roll his eyes, _“Gott,_ what an idiot.”

“You love him.” Feliciano said, putting the postcard to the side to go through the rest of their mail. “Oh, Lovino wrote to me.” 

“What does he want?” Ludwig asked, returning to his post at the stove. The eggs were done, so he scooped them onto a plate as he waited for the bacon to finish.

Feliciano was suddenly squealing in delight, practically bouncing where he sat, “Oh! It’s the wedding invitation!”

Ludwig nodded, not overly surprised. Lovino had called his brother to inform him of his engagement a few months ago, and Feliciano had even helped plan much of the wedding. 

“This is so exciting!” Feliciano said, fixing Ludwig with a thousand-watt smile. “The wedding’s in July, so we won’t be in school.”

“Good.” Ludwig said, fishing the bacon out of the pan strip by strip. “Speaking of school, you have ten minutes to eat.”

Feliciano pouted at the lackluster response, “Aren’t you excited? I mean, weddings are super fun, right?”

Ludwig shrugged, “Well, it’s not like your brother particularly likes me.”

Feliciano scoffed, “Lovi just acts like he doesn’t like you, but if he really had a problem with you… well, you’d probably be dead.”

He had said it so evenly, without hesitation, that for a moment Ludwig could only stare. Feliciano was smiling pleasantly at him, but nothing in his expression indicated that he was joking. Ludwig shuddered, placing the food on the table, “Right… as long as you’re happy, I suppose.”

Feliciano hummed in acknowledgement, pushing the invitation to the side as he simultaneously shoveled some food into his mouth. He went through some of the other letters, discarding most of them. But there was one he held onto, brow furrowing in confusion. He wordlessly handed it over to Ludwig, much too preoccupied with his breakfast.

Ludwig accepted it, looking down to see that it wasn’t really a letter at all — it had no stamp or return address. It simply had the words, _To: Ludwig_ in cursive script on the front of the envelope. With a shrug, he opened it, finding that it was a short note:

> Hi! You don’t know me, but I see you around campus all the time. I’m super shy, so I’m sorry if this note comes across as weird! I keep trying to talk to you, but I chicken out every time. 
> 
> Anyway, my friends and I are throwing a huge party this weekend, and I wanted to personally invite you! I really hope to see you there!

Included in the note was a number and address, although it wasn’t signed.

Ludwig was perplexed, holding the note out for Feliciano to take a look, “Do you know who this could have been from?”

Feliciano read through it, twisting his lips to the side in thought, “I’m not sure, but it could be this one girl from my class.”

“But why would she be inviting me to a party?” Ludwig asked, truly confused by that.

Feliciano giggled, _“Aww,_ you’re so cute.”

Ludwig felt heat scorch his cheeks, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“C’mon, Luddy!” Feliciano said in exasperation. “Of course all the girls want a piece of you!”

“I hardly see how that’s relevant-”

“She’s flirting with you.” Feliciano said point-blank, downing the rest of his coffee before standing. “I don’t blame her, I mean you are one fine piece of-”

“Enough.” Ludwig said, face positively burning at this point.

Feliciano was smirking at him, collecting his dishes before depositing them in the sink to be cleaned later. “Am I embarrassing you, _amore?”_

Of course he was, Feliciano loved to fluster Ludwig like this. But Ludwig didn’t want to admit it, so he crossed his arms and redirected, “Shouldn’t you be on your way to class?”

“I still have a few minutes.” Feliciano said, even as he moved to shove his shoes on. “But if you're really so desperate to be rid of me, I suppose I can go now.”

Ludwig rolled his eyes, standing to take his own dishes to the sink, “If I had known it was this easy to get rid of you, I would have said something sooner.”

“So mean!” Feliciano whined, his lip jut out in a defined little pout. “If only those girls knew how cruel you could be!”

Ludwig smirked at his boyfriends dramatics, turning so he could approach him. He towered over him — a fact that used to intimidate the smaller, but the two have long since moved past that. Feliciano continued to pout, arms crossed over his chest even as Ludwig stood directly before him. 

The encounter would have turned into a stand-off, but Ludwig didn’t let it get that far. He gripped Feliciano’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting it gently up so he could plant a short kiss on his lips. It was fleeting, and he barely gave Feliciano enough time to reciprocate before he was pulling away.

Feliciano’s eyes had fluttered closed, smiling sweetly up, “I knew you didn’t want to get rid of me.”

Ludwig snorted, “Go, you’ll be late for class.”

Feliciano giggled, picking up his backpack before slinging it over one of his shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was no longer sticking up before opening the door, “I’ll see you later! Oh, and Ludwig?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful, I think those girls might swarm you if they get the chance!” Feliciano laughed, clearing out of their apartment with a cheeky little wave.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ludwig grumbled, yelling after him as he disappeared down the hallway, “I’ll pick you up from class, so don’t be late!”

The shout was met by bright laughter, Feliciano not even acknowledging him before he was already gone. 

Ludwig had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes again, closing their door before making his way back to the table. He supposed he should finish getting ready for the day, but his attention was stolen away by the note he received. He was a bit perplexed that someone now knew where he lived, but it wasn’t like they were causing any harm. Still, it made him uncomfortable, and especially with the strange giggling that’d been following him lately.

With a shrug, Ludwig banished those troubling thoughts from his mind in favor of thinking ahead to what he needed to get done today. He didn’t spare another thought to the note, but maybe he should have. He also should have heeded Feliciano’s parting words — it might have saved him quite the headache later on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GerIta gives me such old married couple vibes, and I am so here for it. I'm also just like Feli in the morning haha
> 
> Hope you liked the chapter lol, drop a comment if you dare ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Over the course of their relationship, Ludwig had built up a tolerance for ridiculous things. Feliciano was, by his very nature, utterly _ridiculous._

It was the way he could prattle on for hours about the most inconsequential things, and the unfortunate habit he had of getting lost — even on paths he had tread on dozens of times before. Ludwig had made peace with his boyfriend’s ridiculousness, even indulging it at times by engaging in useless arguments about the merits of keeping a hermit crab as a pet (according to Feliciano, the merits were that, _“we could put a little hat on his shell, Ludwig! It would be so cute!”_ ), but Ludwig digressed.

Indeed, Ludwig had grown accustomed to ridiculousness and absurdity in its many forms, but even he wasn’t prepared for _this._

He’d been minding his own business in the library, textbook and notebook spread before him as he prepared for his upcoming exam. He enjoyed architecture and the logic and order that came with designing something that was both structurally sound and practical, but there were a lot of minute details to keep track of. So he holed himself up in the library for hours at a time, pouring over his notes to perfect his craft. 

It was here, lost in the calming monotony of the university library, that a new presence made itself known.

At first, Ludwig hadn’t even noticed her, too engrossed in his studies to spare even a fleeting glance up towards the approaching figure. The person got closer, coming to a halt directly in front of the table Ludwig was hunched over. 

Finally noticing the shadow that hung above him, Ludwig glanced up. There, directly in front of him, was a young woman. She was wearing navy and white striped overalls, a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. Large, golden-framed glasses sat perched on her nose, causing the girl to push them nervously up. The tight black coils of her hair spilled down to her shoulders, her skin a beautiful, deep brown color. 

She was cute, in a word, but what she was doing there, Ludwig had no clue. “Can I help you?” he asked.

The girl nearly squeaked when she was addressed, her eyes going wide. The glasses she had just so recently pushed back in place slid down the brim of her nose again. It looked like she was about to burst from the anxiety of standing there, something audibly crumpling in her hand.

Ludwig was getting worried, hoping he wasn’t scaring the girl. He’d been told that his neutral countenance came across as intense, and that he was an intimidating person. With that in mind, he consciously softened his features and said, “I’m sorry, do you need help with something?”

She shook her head, placing the slip of paper on the table before turning on her heel and rushing away. 

Ludwig watched her go, brow furrowed in confusion. The encounter was strange to say the least, the girl disappearing as quickly as she emerged. He looked across to see the slip of paper she left, picking it curiously up. He smoothed out some of the wrinkles, shocked to see that it was a series of numbers written in blue ink.

_Why would she leave her phone number?_

Maybe she really did need help, but was too nervous to say it aloud. Ludwig pondered that, wondering if he should text the poor girl just to make sure that she was alright. He couldn’t think of another reason why someone would just leave their number without a word of explanation.

With a shrug, Ludwig elected to return to his studies and question the strangeness of the encounter at another time. He only had an hour or so until his next class, and he needed to make the most of that time now.

Unfortunately, people just didn’t care for Ludwig’s schedule that day.

Not ten minutes later, Ludwig noticed yet another shadow hovering over him. He looked up in the same way he did last time, only mildly surprised to find yet another girl laying in wait for him.

Just like the previous girl, she didn’t say a word. The way she chewed at her bottom lip betrayed her nerves — well, that and the way she was tugging at her hair. She was a tall blond, although she wasn’t nearly as tall as Ludwig himself. She was lanky, her long legs resembling a deer, and especially with the way her wide eyes looked anxiously around.

“Are you alright?” Ludwig asked when the girl looked like she was ready to bolt.

She nodded, shifting from foot to foot.

Ludwig glanced very quickly over his shoulder, feeling the eyes of someone else on his back. His shoulders were creeping up towards his ears, something like foreboding settling heavily in his chest. He didn’t want to snap at this girl, but she was giving him a strange feeling that he couldn’t quite pinpoint, “Listen, I’m trying to study, and-”

“I’m sorry, just take this!” she unintentionally shouted at Ludwig.

“Oh, um-”

“Sorry!” she shouted again, quickly retreating the way she came.

Ludwig watched in astonishment, having exactly zero words to express just how he felt about the exchange. It was annoying that he kept getting interrupted, but more than that, it was so _weird._ This was his third year at this university, and never before had he been interrupted with such frequency. He was still incredibly on-edge about the whole ordeal, and if one more person interrupted his studying, then he was going to-

“Um, hi.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ludwig muttered under his breath, looking up to see that yet _another_ girl had approached him.

She took in a deep breath, “You don’t know me, but I see you around a lot, so I figured I’d introduce myself.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t.” Ludwig huffed, checking the time to see he only had forty minutes left to study _(not nearly enough time!)._

“Oh, um… I’m sorry.” she mumbled.

Too late, Ludwig realized that he had said that out loud. He tried to backtrack, and especially with the way the girl’s eyes were filling with tears, “Excuse me, that was rude of me to say.”

But much to his dismay, the girl’s tears didn’t halt. No, they increased in speed until she was actually crying, “No, it’s my fault! This was so stupid, I’m sorry for interrupting you!”

She turned to leave, but Ludwig stood, capturing her wrist before she could slip away, “No, wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I’m just a little stressed from school, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Really?” she asked, hope coloring her tone as she dried her tears with the sleeve of her shirt. 

While Ludwig really didn’t want to waste any more of his precious time, he felt bad for making the girl cry. So he forced a small smile up and nodded, “Really. What’s your name?”

“You can call me Sam.” she said, tears finally stopping as she turned to face him. “I just wanted to ask if you wanted to get coffee with me some time.”

Ludwig twisted his lips to the side, trying to figure out how to let her down easily. Subtlety wasn’t really his strong suit, so it took him a moment or two to gather his thoughts.

Unfortunately, something in his face must have been intimidating because Sam was suddenly backtracking, “Oh, I made you upset again! I’m sorry, I can just-”

“Calm down, I’ll get coffee with you!” Ludwig said just a bit frantically. He didn’t know what he would do if Sam started crying again, and people in the library were starting to stare. Honestly, he wasn’t completely aware of what he just agreed to at the moment, all he knew was that those were the only words he could think of that could possibly calm her down.

And Sam did calm down, beaming at Ludwig with a smile not unlike Feliciano’s when he was excited about something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, leaning down over the table to scribble something down, “I’ll leave you my number, just text me when you’re free!”

Ludwig accepted the scrap of paper when it was offered to him, finally realizing what the other two girls meant when they had wordlessly handed him their own numbers. He looked up with wide eyes, intent on explaining himself and his current relationship status, but Sam was already backing away.

“Sorry again for bothering you, I’ll see you in a little bit!” she said cheerfully, no trace of the tears that had almost consumed her mere minutes before. Sam turned and practically skipped away, gone before Ludwig could get a word in edgewise.

He watched her retreating back in astonishment, glancing briefly down at not one, but _three_ slips of paper — all with a different girl’s phone number on it. Ludwig pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, finally realizing what exactly he just did.

Ludwig just agreed to go on a date with Sam.

“Shit.” he mumbled, his studies completely forgotten. 

Feliciano wasn’t going like this when he found out.

* * *

Each minute that ticked by seemed to be longer than the last, the hands of the clock moving impossibly slow that afternoon. It was like this class just wouldn’t end, and Feliciano spared a moment to mentally curse whoever invented the concept of minutes, and hours, and even _seconds_ — they were all too slow right now.

Feliciano sighed as he continued to doodle a nebulously floral pattern in the corner of his notebook, having long since given up on listening to his professor’s droning lecture on atoms… or maybe it was molecules. Was there a difference? There might’ve been (not that Feliciano would know). He should probably figure that out before the next exam. 

The class dragged on for another fifteen long minutes before they were finally, _finally_ released. Feliciano had to shake his head to rouse himself from the bored stupor he’d been caught in, taking his time to pack his things up. Ludwig wouldn’t be out of class for another couple of minutes anyway. For all the blond’s snippy comments at Feliciano for running late, it was usually Ludwig himself who took longer in class. 

With a little smile that betrayed the fondness he had for Ludwig (gruff comments and all), Feliciano stood. He started ambling to the door, thinking ahead to what they should have for dinner tonight. It was his turn to cook, so maybe he could make lasagna. Or beef stew — Ludwig _loved_ stew. Then again, maybe something even easier than that was in order, like-

“Excuse me.”

Feliciano very nearly jumped in surprise, looking to his side to see that one of his classmates had approached him. Just like yesterday, it was a girl, only she had auburn hair that spilled messily over her shoulders in tight coils. With freckles that dotted almost every inch of her skin like a spattering of russet paint, and sharp emerald eyes that gleamed with mischief, she was beautiful in a peculiar sort of way.

Belatedly, Feliciano remembered that she had said something, and he was quick to push on a polite smile, “Do you need something?”

She smiled, all teeth and scrunched up cheeks in an oddly cute way, “I was just wondering if you’d like to walk to class with me.”

While Feliciano would prefer to wait for Ludwig and just go home, he really was a sucker for cute girls. Try as he might, he just couldn’t deny that toothy smile, and it was without his full awareness that he nodded, “Of course, _bella._ But why me?”

She giggled, her nose scrunching up a bit like a rabbit, “Because you’re cute, silly!” And with those short words, she hooked their arms together and pulled him towards the door.

Feliciano hummed in acknowledgement, wondering if this girl was just genuinely bubbly, or if he was being flirted with. He decided to play along in order to uncover her intentions before he could let her politely down. 

They emerged into the hallway, and Feliciano suddenly realized that he had yet to introduce himself, “Oh, my name’s Feliciano, by the way.”

“I know.” she said, smiling sweetly up at him. “My name’s Louisa.”

“Nice to meet you.” Feliciano said politely, glancing over his shoulder to see Ludwig walking down the hall — presumably to meet him. Their eyes locked for just an instant, and Feliciano sent him a helpless look that indicated that he was thoroughly stuck with this girl unless he came and saved him.

Ludwig looked perplexed, brows drawn down into what could almost be considered a scowl. He didn’t step in to save Feliciano, instead choosing to follow at a short distance to watch how this interaction played out.

Feliciano pouted when he realized that his boyfriend wasn’t planning on stepping in, very nearly glaring at Ludwig when Louisa interrupted the short staring match:

“So, you’re a junior, right?” 

Feliciano turned back to the girl, although he was still distracted when he answered, “Yeah, what about you?”

“I’m a sophomore.” she said, pushing the doors open so they could turn down the pavement outside. She steered them to the right, causing Feliciano to stumble with how sharply she turned, “So you probably don’t live in the dorms, do you?”

Feliciano shook his head, “I live in an apartment about ten minutes away.”

“Do you have any roommates?” she asked lightly, trying to sneak sly glances up to see the reaction.

But Feliciano hardly noticed that she was acting rather suspicious, too busy begging Ludwig to help him with his eyes alone. But alas, the blond seemed quite content to just trail them, and with a sigh, Feliciano turned back to the girl, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I was just asking if you lived with anyone.” she reiterated, no longer so subtle in her staring.

Feliciano nodded, “Oh, yeah I live with someone.”

Louisa seemed pleased by that, nodding to herself like she was affirming something in her mind, “Really? That’s pretty cool, I guess. What’s he like?”

“Entirely unhelpful.” Feliciano muttered under his breath, just a bit irritated that Ludwig refused to step in and save him from the clutches of this talkative girl. But he shook himself out of the mood, addressing Louisa with a tight-lipped smile, “Well, what do you want to know?”

“Is he nice?” she immediately asked, but then reigned in her sudden excitement. “I mean, does he like going out and stuff? Like, would he come to a party if he was invited?”

The question seemed oddly specific, and Feliciano briefly thought of the letter his boyfriend got earlier that morning, “Ludwig’s super sweet, but he’s also very strict. And no, he doesn’t usually go out unless I’m with him.”

“Oh.” Louisa deflated for just a moment before perking back up in excitement. Some of the auburn coils of her hair fell into her face, and she used her free hand to brush them away before saying, “So some of my friends and I are throwing this super cool party this weekend, and you should totally come and bring your roommate too!”

Feliciano smiled, feeling just a touch of mischief as he turned and yelled at his boyfriend, “Did you hear that, Luddy? Sounds like a fun time, should we go?”

Lousia whipped around, disconnecting their arms to stare slack-jawed at Ludwig. She squeaked something unintelligible out before turning to Feliciano, “When did he-”

“The entire time.” Ludwig said, suddenly right behind them. He towered over the both of them, arms crossed with a mildly vexed look on his face.

Why he looked so irritated, Feliciano really couldn’t tell, but the expression caused Louisa to back away, “Sorry! Um, it was nice to meet you, hope to see you both at the party this weekend!”

And with those clumsy words, she ducked her head and quickly disappeared down the pavement and towards a tall building a few meters away.

Feliciano watched her go with a confused smile, “I think you might have scared her.”

“Good.” Ludwig huffed, immediately throwing an arm around Feliciano’s shoulders in a mildly possessive manner. “She had no right pulling you along like that.”

“Sounds like someone’s jealous.” Feliciano teased.

Ludwig steered them down the opposite direction, “I’m not jealous, I just don’t like it when you’re late.”

Feliciano had to suppress the strong urge to roll his eyes, “So it’s my fault now?”

“Well, you didn’t have to walk her to class.” Ludwig mumbled.

Feliciano didn’t know if he was supposed to hear that or not, but he did anyway. He was just a tad miffed at the comment, scowling up at his boyfriend, “Then why didn’t you step in and save me? It’s not like I _wanted_ to walk with her.”

“Then why did you?” Ludwig grumbled, continuing to steer them quickly down the street.

“Because she asked!” Feliciano said, tripping when Ludwig picked up the pace even further. “And why are you walking so fast? Seriously, I can’t keep up!”

“Sorry.” he mumbled, immediately slowing his steps down. He shifted his eyes wildly around campus, like something was following him.

Feliciano didn’t miss it, casting his own gaze around in search of what was wrong, “What are you looking for?”

“Nothing.” 

“Liar.” Feliciano pouted, removing Ludwig’s arm from around his shoulders to instead interlock their fingers. They walked hand in hand for a while in silence, each lost to their own thoughts. Ludwig’s posture was stiffer than normal, the awkward way he kept looking around indicating that he was on-edge about something. Feliciano wasn’t completely sure what, but he had a guess, “Was I right about you being swarmed by girls?”

An imperceptible shudder worked its way through Ludwig’s body, “Yes, actually.”

Feliciano had to stifle a sharp bark of laughter with his hand, “Really? I was joking when I said that.”

“Well, let’s hope you don’t joke about anything serious happening.” Ludwig muttered under his breath. He reached into his pocket, pulling out three slips of paper before handing them over, “Two of them didn’t even say anything, they just handed me these.”

Feliciano accepted the slips of paper, unsurprised to see there were phone numbers written on each of them. He didn’t bother to hide his laughter anymore, finding this whole ordeal positively hilarious, “They didn’t even say anything?”

“Well one of them did.” Ludwig huffed, turning his face away in embarrassment. “She invited me to get coffee with her.”

“Oh my god!” Feliciano released the grip he had on his boyfriend’s hand, covering his smile with both his hands as boisterous laughter poured from his lips. He would have felt bad for laughing so hard, but the situation was just too amusing, “You didn’t say yes, did you?”

Ludwig pursed his lips, almost like he was thinking how he should word his response. He still kept his head turned away, a deep blush spreading its way down his neck.

It took just a little too long for him to respond, and suddenly Feliciano didn’t find the situation so funny anymore, “Wait, you didn’t, did you?”

“Well, I mean… I didn’t really mean to-”

“Okay, stop.” Feliciano said firmly, planting his feet so he was no longer walking down the pavement. He waited until Ludwig also stopped, turning with a sheepish look on his face. Feliciano crossed his arms, glaring up at his boyfriend, “Did you seriously agree to go on a date with a _girl?”_

Ludwig flinched away, his entire countenance uncharacteristically meek. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, kind of like a fish as he struggled to string together a suitable reply. Eventually, he did come up with something, although it was so soft it could hardly be heard, “She was the third girl to approach me, so I was a little on-edge. I said something rude, and she started crying. I felt bad, so I… I agreed to get coffee with her.”

Feliciano held onto his glare for just a little while longer, just to make sure his discontent was fully conveyed. But in the end, he let the look slip from his face. He knew how socially awkward Ludwig was, and that he probably hadn’t meant to intimidate the girl into crying. It was actually rather sweet for him to smooth things over instead of allowing the poor girl to wonder what she did wrong, so he supposed he could let this go, “As long as she doesn’t try anything, I guess it’s fine.”

Ludwig smiled just the faintest bit, clearly relieved, “Nothing’s going to happen, it’s just coffee.”

“You’re right, nothing will happen because you’re going to tell her that you have a _boyfriend.”_ Feliciano huffed, making sure to stress the _boy_ part of the phrase. 

“Yeah…” Ludwig mumbled, reaching out a nervous hand. “Sorry.”

After a beat of silence, Feliciano accepted the hand, pulling them back down the pavement and towards their apartment, “It’s okay, I know you just didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”

_But going on a date with a girl? Seriously?_

Feliciano would be lying if he said he wasn’t annoyed — more at the girls that were harassing them or at Ludwig, he wasn’t really sure. It’s not like he necessarily _blamed_ anyone for finding Ludwig attractive (he was actually rather inclined to agree with them on that point), but why were they choosing now of all times to express their interest?

 _Maybe it has something to do with that party everyone keeps talking about._

That was a thought. Feliciano pondered that further, finding it rather odd that the topic kept coming up. Maybe the party was just a ploy for one (or all) of the girls on campus to get a piece of Ludwig. It was certainly plausible, and especially with the way that Ludwig was getting harassed. It annoyed him, but at the same time, the party also intrigued Feliciano more than he was willing to admit. 

He looked up at Ludwig, seeing how the blond kept his eyes fixed straight ahead. He was embarrassed, Feliciano could see the telltale way he chewed at the inside of his cheek. Maybe he deserved to be, Feliciano thought, and with just a spark of mischief alight in his eyes, he made a decision:

“Hey, Ludwig?”

“Mmm?”

“So about this party…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please allow my headcanon of Ludwig being an Architecture Major to spread to all college AUs because... I just love it a lot okay? Don't ask me why T_T
> 
> Hope you liked the chapter! Omg, Ludwig's oblivious ass is gonna get him in trouble -- all these girls be simping for him and he doesn't even notice, smh.
> 
> Let me know what you think! I'm planning a guest appearance from someone in either the next chapter or the one after, so get lit :-)
> 
> Also, Merry Christmas to my fellow peeps who celebrate it! Hope it was a good one!!


	4. Chapter 4

While it was rather well-known that Feliciano could (and would) talk damn-near constantly about anything and everything, even he had times where he was more content to just soak in the moment and not say a word. Moments like those were exceedingly rare, but they happened.

Of course, another reason Feliciano may not be speaking at any given moment included times where he was asleep, or… a little tied up, so to speak. It just so happened that he was more than tied up right now, and it all began when Feliciano was feeling just a little needy. He’d promptly crawled into Ludwig's lap just to steal the blond’s attention away from the movie, and things had quickly heated up from there — he wasn’t quite sure why Ludwig was currently indulging his neediness without any semblance of complaint, but that was neither here nor there.

Feliciano had both his legs thrown over his boyfriend’s lap, having to twist his neck awkwardly to the side so their lips could lock together. It felt like Ludwig was trying to devour him, pushing their lips together so firmly, Feliciano wasn’t totally convinced they wouldn’t be bruised later.

_Yet I’m the needy one,_ Feliciano thought even as he tried to push his way closer.

The movie still played softly in the background, but Feliciano could hardly hear it anymore. He was much too focused on the way Ludwig’s hand ran up his back, turning him so Feliciano was straddling his hips. Ludwig hummed his approval, resting both his hands on his boyfriend’s hips. Their lips remained locked the entire time, Feliciano finding leverage against Ludwig’s chest as he moved to deepen the kiss.

Ludwig parted his lips, trying to prod Feliciano into doing the same. But Feliciano was quickly running out of air, breaking away with a gasp when he couldn’t hold his breath anymore. His chest heaved, but he managed a breathy giggle when he noticed the way Ludwig chased after his lips. Feliciano put a finger against the blond’s lips, causing his eyes to flutter open. The look on his face was a dazed mixture of confusion and impatience, the sight enough to make Feliciano giggle again, “Give me a minute to breathe, will you!”

Ludwig pouted, but backed off nonetheless, “Sorry, I might’ve been a little excited.”

“A little?” Feliciano teased, leaning down to kiss his boyfriend on the forehead, his cheeks, the top of his nose — anywhere that wasn’t his lips. He pulled away with an innocent smile, smoothing both his hands over the blond’s chest in a way that was sure to rile him up.

His attempts at teasing must have worked because Ludwig suddenly gripped the back of his neck and yanked him down, “Quit playing.”

Feliciano laughed, but the sound was swallowed by a searing kiss. The hands that had previously rested on his hips now looped around his waist so he could pull their bodies flush against each other. Feliciano responded by wrapping his arms around Ludwig’s neck, unable to help smiling into the kiss.

“What are you smiling at?” Ludwig mumbled against his lips.

Feliciano smiled even wider, making it pretty difficult for him to reciprocate, “At you!”

Ludwig gave up on the kiss altogether when Feliciano started laughing again. Instead, he moved down to his neck, placing featherlight kisses on the exposed skin there.

The sensation was enough to make Feliciano shudder, but not enough to get him to stop laughing. If anything, it made him laugh even harder. Even as Ludwig moved to kiss the underside of his jaw, Feliciano continued to laugh, eyes fluttering closed in contentment.

With a sigh, Ludwig gave up on kissing him entirely. He shook his head in exasperation before pushing his forehead into the junction where Feliciano’s neck met his shoulder, “You’re ridiculous.”

Feliciano ruffled Ludwig’s hair, dislodging the strict style in a way he knew would annoy the blond, “I love you, too.”

Ludwig snorted, lifting his head up to meet his boyfriend’s teasing smile with a small smirk of his own, “Who taught you to be so cheeky?”

“Does it bother you?” Feliciano said with an obnoxious wink.

Ludwig rolled his eyes, “Not as much as you’d like.”

“Maybe I’m not putting enough effort in, then.” Feliciano said, furrowing his eyebrows to appear deep in thought.

“Don’t think too hard, you might hurt yourself.” 

Feliciano pouted, ruffling his boyfriend’s hair so it was now completely ruined, “Don’t be mean.”

Ludwig brought a hand up to try and smooth his hair down, “Don’t, you’ll mess it up.”

“It’s not like you’re going anywhere.” Feliciano said, laughing when his efforts at smoothing his hair down failed. “Unless we wanted to go out tonight.”

Ludwig froze, his entire body tensing up like he was caught doing something wrong. He looked sheepishly up, meeting Feliciano’s eyes in a way that could only be described as guilty.

Feliciano knew that look well — it was one that he dreaded. He felt something in his gut twist, knowing that Ludwig was about to deliver him bad news, “What?”

“I… well, tonight is…” he mumbled, turning his head away so he wasn’t pinned under his boyfriend’s smoldering stare. He opened his mouth a few more times, but not a sound escaped his lips. 

The soft afternoon that they’d been sharing suddenly soured, and Feliciano pushed on Ludwig’s chest so they were no longer pressed so closely together, “What happened?”

Ludwig sighed, his posture slumping guiltily, “I’m getting coffee with Sam today.”

Feliciano’s breath caught in his throat, having forgotten completely about that. It’d been two days since Ludwig admitted that he accidentally accepted a date with the girl, and Feliciano hadn’t thought much of it in that time. But now that it was happening, now that it was real, Feliciano felt a little hurt.

Ludwig tightened the grip he had on his waist, “I’m sorry, _Engel._ I owe her an explanation in person, I’ll be home before dinner.”

“I know, but…” Feliciano mumbled, keeping his eyes downcast. “Sorry, you’re right. Just… did it really have to be a girl?”

“Is that what you’re hung up about?” Ludwig asked, reaching a hand under his chin to tilt his head up. Their eyes met, and Ludwig fixed him with the most reassuring smile he could muster, “I have eyes only for you, Feli, you know that.”

Of course Feliciano knew that, but it didn’t completely ease the dull ache in his chest. But he trusted Ludwig, and he agreed with him that he owed the girl an explanation in person — if only to let her down as softly as possible. With that in mind, Feliciano buried what lingering doubt he still had and nodded, “Okay, I trust you.”

Ludwig breathed a heavy sigh of relief, cupping Feliciano’s cheek in his hand before pulling him forward. He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, pulling away with a small smile, “I love you.”

Feliciano offered his own smile in return, “You too.”

An hour or so later, and Ludwig was out the door. Feliciano sat alone on the couch, trying to focus on anything that wasn’t his boyfriend's ‘date’ with Sam. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that he wasn’t jealous, Feliciano knew that he was. It didn’t matter that Ludwig would never have any interest in a girl, the thought of him going out with anybody that wasn’t him was deeply hurtful.

With a sigh, Feliciano tried to shake himself out of his mood. There was nothing for him to do but wait, and unfortunately that led him down some pretty negative mindsets. He knew Ludwig promised to be home before dinner, but that didn’t stop the sudden loneliness that thrummed dully in his heart.

This just wouldn’t do, Feliciano was feeling more down by the second. But what was he to do? It’s not like he could follow Ludwig to spy on his date, right?

_Right?_

Feliciano sat up straight, going against his better judgement to ponder that further. He knew which coffee shop Ludwig was going to meet Sam at, and it wasn’t too far away. If he got up now and ran there, he could make it in time to monitor their date. Was it a good idea? Probably not. Was Feliciano seriously thinking about doing it anyway?

Absolutely.

Without lingering on the ethics of stalking his boyfriend on his pseudo-date, Feliciano shot up and ran to the door. He was quick to throw on his shoes, only barely remembering to grab his phone off the counter before rushing outside.

* * *

The afternoon was swiftly coming to an end, the blushing light dwindling further into a cool inky black. The paling sun was steady, if just a bit watery, a few street lights sparking to life in anticipation of the coming darkness. 

It was a stunning evening, the outdoor patio of this quaint little coffee shop a bustling hub of activity. Ludwig briefly thought to remember this spot, thinking that Feliciano would enjoy it. How much would Feliciano’s eyes light up in wonder when those twinkling string lights above sprang to life? He would probably liken them to the stars in a metaphor much more creative than what Ludwig himself could come up with, and then he would remark on how he would love to paint this moment so it may live on in the real world and not just their memories.

Or something like that.

Ludwig wasn’t as skilled in the art of metaphors as his boyfriend was, so he was just going to be blunt: it was a beautiful evening, this outdoor patio was romantic, and Feliciano would love the atmosphere here. Actually, Ludwig himself rather enjoyed the easy atmosphere that surrounded him. Or, he would have had he not been stuck with one of the most talkative girls he’s ever met:

“So where are you from?”

“Oh, I’m from-”

“Wait don’t tell me!” Sam shouted, effectively ending the response before it could really begin. She looked seriously into Ludwig’s eyes, nearly pinning him to the spot with how intense her staring was. “I don’t know why, but I’m getting a very German vibe from you.”

Ludwig stared back, unable to tell if Sam was joking or not, “You don’t say.”

She sat back in her chair with a broad smile, nodding once to herself, “I knew it! My friends say I’m pretty observant.”

“Is that so?” Ludwig muttered, tapping an impatient finger on the black table top. His coffee was already gone, although Sam’s was pretty much untouched — a testament to who’s been doing most of the talking.

Sam smiled warmly at him, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She had really gone above and beyond in her apparel: a short black dress that fit her well, accented by a silver chain on her wrist. Beyond that, her makeup was immaculate, and her hair had been styled into loose curls. She obviously took great pride in her appearance, and Ludwig felt just a bit bad that he hadn’t even thought to dress up.

“So what’s your major?” Sam asked excitedly. “I bet it’s something really difficult because you’re always in the library studying! I see you there all the time, but I never said hi because you were always so focused. Is it biology? I’ve heard biology is a really hard major. I wouldn’t know, I’m in advertising! Not to say that it’s super easy, but it’s nothing like physics. Oh! Are you a physics major?”

Ludwig watched wide-eyed as she prattled on and on about anything that popped into her head. After dating Feliciano, he thought he’d be an expert on excitable personalities and rambling, nonsensical speech. But when Feliciano spoke, he was considerate of other people and always made time to listen. Sam didn’t do that, she just kept talking.

“I’ve been thinking about changing my major, actually.” Sam was saying, unaware of Ludwig’s silent reflection. “Advertising’s fine and all, but I think I’m more of a people person. Maybe I should go into human resources, what do you think?”

Ludwig shrugged, unable to offer an opinion because, well, he knew _nothing_ of this girl besides how talkative she was.

Sam clicked her tongue in thought, “I’m not sure either. I just don’t want to be trapped in a job I hate.”

Ludwig nodded along, thoughts turning inward once more. He needed to figure out a way to let Sam down easily. He got the impression that she was rather sensitive, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings. Unfortunately that may be the least of his worries — he had no idea how he was going to get a word in edgewise.

He jumped when a hand suddenly landed over his, snapping his eyes down to see that Sam had bridged the small gap between them. The action was overly familiar, and it made Ludwig profoundly uncomfortable.

“You don’t talk very much, you know that?” Sam said with a little giggle. “I like that, though. You’re a good listener.”

Ludwig nodded, still much too focused on the hand over his. Sam was looking up at him expectantly, like she was waiting for him to say something. Not wanting to come across as cold, he forced himself to say, “I’m glad you think so.”

“Really?” Sam asked, suddenly smiling so broadly it was a wonder her face didn’t split in two. “Y’know, I was super scared of you for a while.”

Ludwig tilted his head curiously to the side, “You were?”

“Oh, yeah.” Sam laughed. “All of my friends are still scared of you, I think. That’s why we wanted to invite you to the party this weekend.”

This was getting interesting, Ludwig leaning forward in his seat as he tried to uncover more about this mysterious party, “Is that the only reason?”

To Ludwig’s extreme relief, Sam removed the hand she had over his before saying, “Well, we like to party, too. But you always seemed so strict, so we figured if we could loosen you up, you might agree to go out with one of us.”

Ludwig furrowed his brow in confusion, “Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”

Sam giggled into her hand, “Yeah, I decided to just suck it up and ask you out before my friends could work up the nerve.”

The reminder that they were technically on a date made Ludwig feel just a little guilty, and he mentally tried to think of ways he could make it up to Feliciano later. He needed to break this off soon — he didn’t want to lead Sam on any more than he already had, “Listen, I-”

“I really like you.” Sam abruptly stood, walking to the other side of the table to stand directly before a wide-eyed Ludwig. She placed a hand on his shoulder, “I know we’ve only just met, but I feel like I’ve known you for years already.”

This was going too far, he needed to put an end to this now, “Sam, you’re a very nice girl, but-”

“I’m so glad you think so!” Sam chirped, starting to lean in just a little too close. “I think you’re very nice too.”

Ludwig immediately stood, not allowing the girl to carry out whatever intentions she had. He turned to face her, placing a gentle hand on either of her shoulders before addressing her sternly, “I’m already in a relationship.”

The smile Sam wore slipped from her face, “You’re what?”

“I’m dating somebody else.” Ludwig reiterated, feeling just a bit bad at how crushed she suddenly looked. 

“Then why did you agree to go on a date with me?” Sam asked, betrayal coloring her tone.

Ludwig shifted nervously from foot to foot, a little embarrassed to admit this part, “I felt bad for making you cry, I didn’t know what else to do.”

“So you went out with me out of pity?” Sam’s voice was watery, and she looked approximately three seconds away from crying. “Am I not pretty enough?”

Ludwig’s eyes blew wide open at that, releasing the grip on her shoulders as he tried to backtrack, “No! No, you’re very pretty-”

“Then what is it?” she sniffled, fanning at her eyes as they filled with tears. “I can treat you better than your girlfriend, just give me a chance.”

“I’m sorry, my answer is no.” Ludwig said, putting a hand out when Sam tried to take a step forward.

A look of impossible hurt shone clearly in her eyes before it darkened into something like jealousy. Her bottom lip trembled, the tears in her eyes only making the glare on her face even more potent. With one last sniffle, she turned on her heel and stormed away.

Ludwig watched her retreating back, a little astounded with how dramatically her mood seemed to shift. He looked around the small patio, realizing that a few people were staring at him. His cheeks exploded in a deep blush, but he refused to feel shame for this. 

_It wasn’t me who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,_ he thought petulantly.

With a sigh, Ludwig picked up the check and made his way inside. Everything was water under the bridge now that the conflict was over. Hopefully everything would return to normal, this week of strangeness was finally over.

* * *

Feliciano made a mistake.

He shouldn’t have done it, he _knew_ it was a bad decision, but he just couldn’t help it! He’d been just a bit annoyed, and maybe a little depressed at seeing his boyfriend (the love of his life, no less!) on a date with a girl. It had made something ugly twist in his chest, and while he didn’t necessarily _blame_ Ludwig, he was still angry at the situation.

Now, Feliciano wasn’t the jealous or possessive type, but this was just pushing it too far. He sat on the other side of the street, not bothering to touch his own coffee as he stared down the girl who was ogling _his_ boyfriend. And the way she had the audacity to put her hand over his… it made Feliciano feel something he’d never felt before, and he couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what that feeling was.

Feliciano was sitting on the opposite side of the street at an adjacent café, choosing to sit on the outdoor patio. He had chosen the perfect seat to keep an eye on his boyfriend, sitting close enough to see everything clearly, but far away enough to remain out of sight. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could tell that Sam was dominating the conversation. Briefly Feliciano wished he hadn’t come, seeing Ludwig sitting across someone like it really was just a normal date made him want to cry.

And that’s when he made a bad decision.

He was emotionally compromised, and not knowing what else to do, he called someone to get these feelings off his chest. The mistake he made was the person he decided to call: 

“And I’m not really _jealous,_ but it still hurts, you know?”

“Mhmm.”

“I mean, it’s not really Ludwig’s fault.”

“Sure.”

“And I shouldn’t be upset because I told him it was fine, but it’s not really fine.”

“Nor should it be, that’s your boyfriend on a date with somebody else.”

Feliciano nodded, but he was still conflicted, “I don’t know, maybe I’m blowing this way out of proportion. What do you think?”

“No, I think you’re not taking this seriously enough!”

“Eh?” Feliciano cocked his head to the side.

There was a scoff, “I’m just saying, if that was Antonio that pulled that bullshit, the wedding would be fucking off.”

“But Lovi-”

“No!” Lovino growled, “Are you still watching them?”

Feliciano bit at his lip, glancing over to see that Ludwig was indeed still talking to Sam. 

_When is he going to break it off?_

“Yeah, I’m still here.”

“Does he know you’re there?”

“No.” Feliciano said, tensing up when he saw Sam stand up. “Wait, the girl just stood.”

Feliciano watched in distress as Sam moved to stand right next to Ludwig, placing a hand over his shoulder. The action was far too familiar, and why Ludwig was doing nothing to stop it confused Feliciano beyond belief.

“What’s happening?” Lovino asked.

Feliciano shook his head in shock, “She’s making a move on him.”

“Is he doing anything to stop it?”

“No.” Feliciano closed his eyes, not wanting to watch them anymore. “I-I don’t know why he’s not.”

The line went dead for a handful of moments, his brother silently seething. Finally, after another few faltering heartbeats, Lovino growled, “I’ll be there tomorrow around noon.”

Feliciano’s eyes snapped up at that, wide and terrified, “Wait, are you going to kill him?”

“Absolutely.”

This wasn’t good, Lovino sounded deathly serious. Feliciano shook his head glancing up to see that Ludwig was forcefully pushing the girl away. She looked to be on the verge of tears, but Ludwig held firm. 

“Wait, Ludwig pushed her away!” Feliciano cried, his heart fluttering happily in his chest.

But the damage was done — Lovino would not relent, “I don’t give a shit, I’ll teach that stupid potatoe to hurt my little brother!”

“No, wait-!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lovino growled right before he hung up.

Feliciano stared at his phone with unseeing eyes, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Once again, he looked up to see Ludwig speaking to the girl, but his closed-off posture indicated that he would not be receptive to any more advances. 

That’s what Feliciano had wanted to see this entire time, but it was too late. Lovino already had it in his head that Ludwig had hurt his little brother, and now there would be hell to pay.

_“Perdonami,_ Ludwig.” Feliciano muttered under his breath. He watched as Sam rushed away, her face burning red. Ludwig himself looked a little embarrassed, but also extremely relieved. He’d done exactly as Feliciano asked him to, but that wouldn’t stop the incoming storm that was his older brother.

Feliciano had made a mistake — Lovino was on his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would just like to say, the worst thing Feli could have done was get Lovino involved -- talk about adding fuel to the fire XD Lol, Lovi will for sure be making an appearance in the next chapter to shake things up, so get lit!
> 
> I hope y'all liked this chapter, let me know what you think! I had fun writing this one, so I hope you had a good time reading it too!!
> 
> Oh yeah, one translation for ya: 
> 
> Perdonami -- forgive me


	5. Chapter 5

The worst part about knowing your life was about to end was the wait. It was waiting for the hours to melt away, waiting for the door to be kicked down, waiting to be called every insult in the book (and in two different languages as an added bonus). In other words, the worst part was waiting for Lovino to arrive.

Ludwig may be just a little dramatic in his characterization of the situation, but then again, Feliciano himself had made some pretty dark remarks about what his brother was capable of. Ludwig didn’t know how much faith he should put in his boyfriend regarding the things Lovino had done, and he certainly didn’t know if he should completely discredit those accusations either. 

Since Ludwig had started dating Feliciano, he had only met his family once. Their grandfather was a kind enough man, if not a little quirky. Then again, Feliciano was fairly strange, too (not that Ludwig was complaining). Ludwig had been welcomed with open arms from the Vargas patriarch, but he couldn’t say the same about every member of the family.

Lovino had taken an instant dislike to him, going so far as to give Ludwig the silent treatment when he’d gone over to introduce himself. The cold shoulder didn’t really phase Ludwig much, but he was confused by it. Feliciano simply shrugged it off, and his grandfather had laughed away the whole ordeal. It wasn’t like Lovino necessarily _scared_ him, but he did fear Lovino’s intent. Which was to kill him. Great.

“Oh, calm down!” Feliciano had reassured him, even if he sounded rather nervous himself. “Lovi just wants to intimidate you a bit, just act scared and he’ll leave!”

At the time, Ludwig had nodded in agreement. What harm could Lovino really do, anyway? If all else failed, Feliciano could probably talk him down far enough to be reasonable. It would be fine, Ludwig could handle it.

Or so he thought.

“Where’s that bastard at, ah? I got some words of advice for that fucker.”

“Lovi, please calm down!”

“Calm down? After he cheated on you?”

“He didn’t cheat on me, he just-”

“Accepted to go on a date with a girl.”

“Well, yes, but-”

“He’s dead! You hear me? _Dio Santo,_ I’ll wring his fucking neck for pulling that kind of bullshit!”

“Lovi, you’re not listening!”

This was it, Ludwig was going to die at the hands of his boyfriend’s brother. Lovino had said it himself, ranting and raving in the living room while Ludwig waited (hid) in the bedroom. Lovino’s muffled voice sounded livid, and Ludwig took a brief moment to send a silent prayer upwards. 

“Oi, get your hands off of me!”

“Please don’t kill Ludwig! What would Antonio say?”

“Hey, don’t bring him into this!”

“Then don’t bring Ludwig into it!”

“Idiot, he’s the reason I’m here!”

With a heavy sigh, Ludwig decided he should probably make his presence known before something was broken. He really shouldn’t feel this nervous — Lovino talked a big game, but it was unlikely that he ever followed through on his bold threats of violence. Either way, it was likely that Lovino would one day be his brother-in-law, so he should really try to smooth things over before they got out of hand.

“Lo~ovi, please!” Feliciano cried.

“I said let go of me, I just want a word with him!” 

Okay, any _more_ out of hand.

With one last shuddering breath, Ludwig stepped out of the relative safety of his room. He made the short trip down the hallway and into the living room, stopping just at the edge of it. He wasn’t noticed, not right away at least. No, both brothers were _far_ too preoccupied yelling at each other, some of it being in very rapid Italian. It made Ludwig’s head spin.

Actually, the sight he was met with was pretty comical. Feliciano was sitting on the ground, both arms wrapped firmly around both his brother’s legs to prevent him from moving. Lovino was glaring down at him, trying to pry his legs free of the restrictive grasp. Unfortunately for Lovino, he was even smaller than his brother, so he couldn’t force himself free by sheer strength. 

That was all for the best, Ludwig idly thought, and in the next moment, he cleared his throat to gain the attention of both brothers.

Feliciano’s eyes snapped up in tandem with his brother’s, both of them freezing for just a moment. Lovino’s gaze steadily darkened, and he moved to free himself with renewed vigor, “Oi, I’ve got some advice for you, you stupid potato! The next time you think about hurting my brother, fucking _don’t!”_

Ludwig unconsciously took a step back at the vitriolic tone he’d been met with, ashamed to admit that he was just a tad intimidated. Normally, Lovino didn’t scare him at all, but he was just so _angry_ right now.

“Lovi, please, please, _please,_ don’t kill Ludwig!” Feliciano begged, burying his face into his brother’s legs.

“I agree with Feli.” Ludwig chimed in softly.

Lovino scoffed, glaring fiercely up at the blond, “Nobody asked you, stupid!”

“He broke it off with the girl, he didn’t hurt me!” Feliciano tried.

“But he still agreed to go on a date, didn’t he?”

Ludwig cleared his throat, “That was actually an accident.”

“Bullshit!”

“Lovi, please!”

“I’m gonna teach him a lesson!”

“Do I get a say in this?”

“No!”

The bickering went on for a while, and Ludwig was sure that they would be receiving a noise complaint (or five) after this. Lovino was on a tirade, but he wasn’t willing to hurt Feliciano in any way, so he remained blessedly trapped by the hold around his legs. It was a stand-off, and it may have continued that way had a new presence not made itself known:

“Sorry I took so long! I couldn’t find anywhere to park.”

Three pairs of eyes snapped to the front door, the shouting match lulling for a few faltering heartbeats. The silence could hardly last, but Ludwig relished it nonetheless. In the doorway stood Antonio, smiling confusedly at the scene he was met with.

Feliciano was the first to break out of his shocked stupor, obliterating the momentary peace by crying, “Antonio, please help! Lovi wants to kill Ludwig!”

It was like a switch had gone off, the room descending into madness once more. 

“Hell yeah, I’m gonna kill him!”

“I’d prefer you didn’t.” Ludwig mumbled.

Antonio shook his head in astonishment, closing the door softly behind him as he emerged fully into the little apartment. He walked closer to his fuming fiancé, placing a calming hand on his shoulder, “Lovi, I think you’ve scared him enough. Why don’t we all just calm down?”

It was like Antonio’s words were magic, much of the tension from Lovino’s shoulders draining at once. He was clearly still angry, but at least now he was reasonable.

“He hurt my brother, Toni. He cheated on him.” Lovino grumbled, sending a scathing glare Ludwig’s way.

Feliciano shook his head, “It was all a big misunderstanding, I’m not even upset anymore!”

Antonio turned to look contemplatively at Ludwig, like he was deciding whether or not to let Lovino exact his revenge. Everything rested in his hands, and after an unbearably tense minute, he finally shook his head, “Please calm down, Lovi. Let’s talk to Ludwig first.”

Lovino held onto his glare for a little while longer, but eventually nodded stiffly. He crossed his arms harshly over his chest, muttering lowly, “Fine, I won’t kill the stupid bastard. You can let go of me now, Feli.”

“No, I want you to promise me you won’t kill Ludwig.” Feliciano said, glaring up at the elder.

Ludwig spared a moment to feel a bit of pride swell up in his chest, knowing that Feliciano had a hard time standing up to people. Even if it was only his brother, Ludwig couldn’t help but feel proud.

“Whatever, I promise I won’t kill him, okay?” Lovino said with a heavy roll of the eyes. “You happy now?”

“Yup!” Feliciano chirped, releasing his grip at once. 

With a huff, Lovino smoothed the wrinkles out of his shirt before addressing Ludwig, “It’s your lucky day, potato bastard.”

It was indeed, but Ludwig didn’t dare speak — anything he could have said would probably only spark another shouting match. 

Despite everything, Antonio looked rather amused of all things. It was likely he was used to such aggression, and he was quick to throw an arm around Lovino’s shoulders and lead him to the couch, “Now that we’re done yelling, why don’t you two explain what happened.”

Finally, something Ludwig could do. He exchanged a quick glance with Feliciano, and after they sat down in the loveseat to the side of the couch, they explained everything that had gone wrong that week. It started with those phantom eyes both Ludwig and Feliciano experienced, to the numerous girls who had tried to worm their way into their personal lives. Their explanation ended with the mysterious party, and Feliciano’s plan to infiltrate it.

“...so basically, I’m making Ludwig go to the party with me.” Feliciano summed up shortly, shooting a devilish wink to the blond. “Trust me, this is punishment enough for Ludwig, so you don’t have to kill him!”

Punishment, indeed — Ludwig was already dreading having to go to the party tomorrow. But then again, he owed Feliciano for accepting that date with Sam, so he’d bear the awkwardness of being thrown into a social situation without complaint.

Throughout the explanation, Lovino kept a blank face. Even now, he betrayed nothing of his true feelings. It was an act of stoicism that could rival Ludwig’s own ability to remain stony-faced, but it could hardly last. Eventually, Lovino sighed, his glare more for show than for any murderous intent, “That’s probably one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard, but it sounds like the stupid potato suffered for it.”

Antonio laughed, having thoroughly enjoyed the remarkable series of events, “Wow, it sounds like Ludwig’s quite the ladies’ man!”

“Hardly.” Ludwig mumbled, averting his eyes in embarrassment. “I still don’t understand why so many girls would be flirting with me.”

Feliciano leaned up and kissed his cheek, short and sweet, “I know you don’t, and I love you for it.”

Lovino rolled his eyes at the show of domesticity, like his own fiancé didn’t currently have an arm thrown around his shoulders. His arms were still crossed angrily over his chest, but his voice was even, “So when’s that party you were talking about, anyway?”

“Tomorrow.” Feliciano said, eyes gleaming with mischief. “I don’t want anyone to mistake us for _just roommates_ again.”

Ludwig sighed, not nearly as excited as his boyfriend was, “God help me.”

For the first time since he arrived, Lovino looked intrigued. He exchanged a quick glance with Antonio before smirking, “Would you like some help making an entrance?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear, this chapter really played on the edge of crack, didn't it? 
> 
> Lol, this was so over the top, and I loved every moment of it. Everyone's so dramatic XD But here's some bonus spamano for y'all, and they'll probably be in the next chapter, too!
> 
> Hope you guys liked the chapter, as always thank you for reading! <3


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